What reward will be given to those who report security issues in Android apps

Google launches a new bug bounty program that will financially reward those who report security issues in Android apps, writes PatentJournal.com.

With all the efforts and artificial intelligence invested in securing your own mobile ecosystem, Google is still confronted with many security issues when it comes to Android and its applications for this operating system.

To further increase the security level of Android smart phones, Google is launching a new reward program for trouble-makers, called Google Play Security Reward.

This program will pay $1,000 for discovering vulnerabilities in Android apps. This is not about any possible application issue, such as simple bugs, but just about security issues.

The goal is to detect serious security issues, such as remote malware execution, forced download of a compromised application, or taking control of a mobile device.

Google Play Security Reward requires those who detect security issues to work closely with application developers to resolve them. Google will only note the problem solved and deliver the reward.

For now, the program is available only on invitation basis, with a limited number of applications now included. These include Alibaba, Dropbox, Duolingo, Tinder and Snap-chat.

Google Play Security Reward is part of the general bug-bounty program Google has been running for years. Both Android and the Chrome browser are involved in the program. So far, Google has paid rewards of about $9 million.